Reflexivity in Context: Navigating the Challenges of Conducting Qualitative Research in International Business.

Contextual reflexivity plays an integral role in the development of a holistic understanding of International Business (IB) phenomena. Yet, there has been limited accounting of its relevance in qualitative IB research. This paper aims to theorize contextual reflexivity as an essential methodological tool for revealing how meaning is negotiated between the researcher and the researched within a specific social context. By drawing insights from the experiences, reflexive diary, and field notes of the lead researcher as a Ph.D. student conducting research in Nigeria in 2019, this paper reveals ethical and epistemological dilemmas which the lead researcher encountered and how these shaped engagement, interpretation, and dissemination of research findings. We aim to contribute to ongoing discussions on contextual reflexivity by introducing the Engaged Reflexive Researcher (ERR) framework as a reflexive tool for accounting for the context-sensitive nature of IB research. We suggest that this typology of contextual reflexivity has the potential to limit normative and conventional practices which trivialize knowledge and practices of different contexts. By incorporating contextual reflexivity, IB researchers can better account for the complex multidimensional nature of contexts and be better positioned to generate more holistic outcomes which are credible and trustworthy.